Comments on: Rewriting for licensing http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/ A collection of my thoughts and other random stuff I found interesting. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:35:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Dan http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5101 Dan Wed, 19 Jul 2006 04:51:23 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5101 That's what I wanted to know. That’s what I wanted to know.

]]> By: JB http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5103 JB Mon, 17 Jul 2006 02:42:49 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5103 The GPL is more in line with the terms that I'd prefer to license my software under. For a simple example, I think I mentioned to you the other day that I had offered my tagboard plugin for use on the wordpress.com site. Well, wp.com is run by Automattic, which is Matt's commercial company, so if wordpress.com is therefore considered "commercial use" (which I'm pretty sure it would be, even though it's free), they could not use my tagboard plugin since I currently have to license it under the CC license that it's got right now. If it were GPL, they could use it. The GPL is more in line with the terms that I’d prefer to license my software under.

For a simple example, I think I mentioned to you the other day that I had offered my tagboard plugin for use on the wordpress.com site. Well, wp.com is run by Automattic, which is Matt’s commercial company, so if wordpress.com is therefore considered “commercial use” (which I’m pretty sure it would be, even though it’s free), they could not use my tagboard plugin since I currently have to license it under the CC license that it’s got right now. If it were GPL, they could use it.

]]> By: Dan http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5102 Dan Mon, 17 Jul 2006 01:01:38 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5102 Yeah, but why? Yeah, but why?

]]> By: JB http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5108 JB Sun, 16 Jul 2006 07:07:16 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5108 No, if you copy their code word for word that is copying, which is different than making something similar totally on your own. I know you know that, but just to clarify... The "why" I explained above: I don't want to distribute my plugin under the <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" rel="nofollow">CC Attribution -noncommercial-ShareAlike license</a>, which I have to right now if I include code that was distributed under it. I want to distribute my plugin under the GPL, like I do with the other plugins. No, if you copy their code word for word that is copying, which is different than making something similar totally on your own. I know you know that, but just to clarify…

The “why” I explained above: I don’t want to distribute my plugin under the CC Attribution -noncommercial-ShareAlike license, which I have to right now if I include code that was distributed under it. I want to distribute my plugin under the GPL, like I do with the other plugins.

]]> By: Dan http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5107 Dan Sun, 16 Jul 2006 05:06:15 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5107 So I can copy someones code as long as I type it out again? JK Anyways, why? So I can copy someones code as long as I type it out again? JK

Anyways, why?

]]> By: nstryker http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5105 nstryker Sat, 15 Jul 2006 18:07:27 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5105 yeah, i think i was just typing for the sake of typing. sorry to not contribute anything. yeah, i think i was just typing for the sake of typing. sorry to not contribute anything.

]]> By: JB http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5104 JB Sat, 15 Jul 2006 17:14:48 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5104 I don't think that would apply here. Anyone can write (and completely own the rights to) their own tagboard (or pretty much any other kind of software) from scratch, even if they've used (or modified) a similar program from someone else in the past. The only hangup could be if that original product was so unique that any similar program would be considered a direct copy of that original, which definitely isn't the case here. I'll probably just go back and take the pieces from the original one I released a long time ago and make it functionally similar to the one I've got now. Since it would be 100% my own code, the original author would have no more of an issue with me than they would with anyone else who writes any tagboard software. As far as licensing goes, the main issue is that since what I'm distributing actually contains some code originally released by someone else, I have to abide by their licensing terms, which include redistributing under the same license. I don’t think that would apply here. Anyone can write (and completely own the rights to) their own tagboard (or pretty much any other kind of software) from scratch, even if they’ve used (or modified) a similar program from someone else in the past.

The only hangup could be if that original product was so unique that any similar program would be considered a direct copy of that original, which definitely isn’t the case here. I’ll probably just go back and take the pieces from the original one I released a long time ago and make it functionally similar to the one I’ve got now. Since it would be 100% my own code, the original author would have no more of an issue with me than they would with anyone else who writes any tagboard software.

As far as licensing goes, the main issue is that since what I’m distributing actually contains some code originally released by someone else, I have to abide by their licensing terms, which include redistributing under the same license.

]]> By: nstryker http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5106 nstryker Sat, 15 Jul 2006 16:01:23 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2006/07/14/rewriting-for-licensing/#comment-5106 i'm not sure how licensing works, but in copyright land, i think that would still qualify as a "work after another work," me thinks. excused in art, but requires "permission" in business. i’m not sure how licensing works, but in copyright land, i think that would still qualify as a “work after another work,” me thinks. excused in art, but requires “permission” in business.

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